Syrian Arab Republic

Syria’s energy balance has declined dramatically since its peak oil production in the mid-1990s. Current production is estimated at just under 400,000 b/d from just under 600,000 b/d in 1996. However, exploration work is still ongoing with efforts focused on the southeast of the country and in the offshore Mediterranean. At the same time, the country’s gas production has made marked improvements in recent years, with further growth expected from a number of key developments which will feed into the domestic market.

Syria also has hopes to become a key transit state between the resources of the Middle East and North Africa and consumers in Europe. It is already on track with the construction of its section of the Arab gas pipeline running from Egypt to Turkey. It also hopes to host gas flows from Iraq and possibly Iran. The proximity of some Iraqi oil and gasfields has added impetus to efforts to strengthen the country’s mid and downstream infrastructure, with a number of new refineries and processing plants planned.